#Bourbon Distillery Tours Louisville KY

[horsesnbourbon]

What To Know The First Time You Hit The Kentucky Bourbon Trail Post-Covid

Oh, it's such a lovely day! For the first time since the pandemic halted most of our favorite activities, you're headed for an adventure along the best Bourbon tours in Lexington, KY.

And a lot of the distilleries along the route greet guests with great enthusiasm. The bright side is that we now value experiences we may have taken for granted in the past, like exploring rich houses, enjoying a nice glass of Bourbon with friends, and finding new favorite whiskies. Plan Ahead, then Plan Some More Planning for Lexington, Kentucky Bourbon tours is crucial for a successful post-pandemic tour. It used to be harder to go into distilleries without warning and take a tour, even before the popularity of our local spirit increased. We are past those times. Currently? Planning will need to be done as long in ahead as feasible. The best duration is a few weeks or possibly a few months. The Key to Success is Flexibility Our experts advised bringing an open mind in addition to planning. You may be unable to attend the distillery tour you have your heart set on, or it is not available at all. And what about it? You might discover a new favorite! Why not take advantage of some of the close-up opportunities? This Need not be a Once-in-a-Lifetime Event Have a look. There is no stopping the Bourbon Trail tour. Both new and established craft producers and distilleries have the long-term view in mind. Nothing limits the number of times you can do this. You'll find it much simpler to unwind and have fun if you approach the trip with the mindset that this is just one and there will be more. Rely on Local Partners Yes, of course, you can plan and execute your travel. But trust me when I say that having someone else do the legwork makes it much more enjoyable. Someone with expertise! Furthermore, these people are well-versed in both the distilleries and the industry. They are even knowledgeable about the best eateries, back roads, and pretty much everything else. Pace Yourself In addition, remember that we haven't gone out for almost a year. You should indeed hydrate. We have the opportunity to form new habits in this new reality. Above all, enjoy yourself and this much-needed return to one of life's greatest pleasures: the best Bourbon tours in Lexington, KY.

[sunmarketing]

Louisville, and the Kentucky Derby

FAQ: How do I make small talk when you are on the road with a stranger?

  Destination: Louisville, Ky

  Today’s Mistake-Getting lost in Louisville

Travel Advice:  Pack half your suitcase with giveaways and gifts.

FAQ: 

How do I make small talk with a stranger when you are on the road?

  Start small with a question or comment about the weather, date, location, or event you are both at or have just attended. Do they seem to have something in common with you? You can gently ask how they are doing today.

  Today’s destination: Louisville, KY

Derby is on the first Saturday of every year in May.

I’ve attended several of them with friends and always had fun. I miss those days, but still love the races. Churchill Downs is the place to visit when in town as that’s where the race takes place, the fastest two minutes in sports ever!

Even if you can’t make the early week races, get dressed up and place your best. Check out Thurby Oaks, which is an alternative to Churchill Downs.

On Derby weekend, you can go bourbon tasting or whatever. Be sure you get your big hat! Follow the rules regarding what you can bring.

My friend and I always celebrated with a Mint Julep, even if not at the race. What’s the recipe? 

The four ingredients to taste are mint leaf, bourbon, simple syrup, and crushed ice. Once, I did not have a mint leaf, so I used oregano, which went over badly. It was a hoot!

https://www.churchilldowns.com/tickets/

  https://www.letsgolouisville.com/kentucky-derby-tips

  Visit the museums on Museum Row, including Louisville's own Muhammed Ali Museum, the Frazier Kentucky History Museum, 21C Museum Hotel, KMAC (the Kentucky Museum of Art & Crafts), and Roots 101 African American Museum, all within proximity. The Speed Art Museum is also a fantastic contemporary art museum in Old Louisville.

Stroll through beautiful Old Louisville, or take a guided history tour with Louisville Historic Tours to learn all about the local architecture and history.

Take a food tour with Louisville Food Tours and experience the story of Louisville one bite at a time in the most scenic neighborhoods in town.  You'll learn all about the city's history while enjoying the sights, interspersed with stops at fantastic local eateries for food and drinks. With just 1.5 miles of walking spread out over 3 hours, it's the perfect balance of activity, history, and eating and drinking.

Louisville has a fantastic theatre scene! Check out what's playing at Actor's Theatre, or if you're visiting during the summer, check out the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival, the longest-running free Shakespeare festival in the country. Another fantastic entertainment venue is PLAY, a gay nightclub hosting drag performances and Queer-owned theatre productions.

Take a sunset cruise on the beautiful Ohio River aboard Louisville's historic steamboat, the Belle of Louisville.

Explore NuLu and shop at the local boutiques and gift stores in the NuLu neighborhood. It's a small area, about 2 blocks, but full of locally owned businesses. My favorite is Revelry, a gift shop and art gallery featuring unique creations by Louisville artists. Right across the street is Women Owned Wallet, a shop featuring only women-owned and created products. There are also two bourbon distilleries, Angel's Envy and Rabbit Hole! If you're spending the day in NuLu, book a NuLu Food Tour with Louisville Food Tours. Their 3-hour daytime tour features food that represents the culinary heritage of Louisville and Kentucky, and they also offer an evening bourbon food tour in NuLu, which treats bourbon as if it were wine and explores pairings of food, bourbon, and bourbon cocktails.

 Lia Garcia, Founder and CEO, Let’s Go Louisville

  Today’s Mistake- Getting Lost in Louisville

  It was the night of the Kentucky Derby, and my college friends were all there, staying near Churchill Downs. One friend drove their motor home out to a bar after the event, and they left me behind by mistake. I did not have the address of where I was staying before cell phones, so I found a policeman and told them what happened. They helped me get “home” for the night. 

Just as I walked in the door, they noticed I was missing.

Today’s Travel Advice: Pack half your suitcase with giveaways and gifts. Then, you will have room for your extras and souvenirs when you go home. 

Where are you going? Let me know if I helped you travel. The show notes have ways to connect.

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[vandalamagazine]

Theory – “Say Nothing Tour” February 3rd, 2020 Kelowna Community Theatre Kelowna, BC Photo Credit: Crystal Lee

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THEORY (Theory Of A Deadman) has recently released their new album “Say Nothing”, and playing these amazing and powerful songs on tour along with their hits from their past albums. For their upcoming U.S. tour, THEORY has also partnered with PLUS1 to donate $1 from every ticket sold to organizations dedicated to breaking the cycle of domestic violence and building a community free of abuse. Below are tour dates along with 2 powerful must music watch videos. https://www.theoryofficial.com/

THEORY – UPCOMING TOUR DATES

Canada Friday, January 31 Vancouver, BC @ The Commodore Ballroom Saturday, February 1 Vancouver, BC @ The Commodore Ballroom Monday, February 3 Kelowna, BC @ Kelowna Community Theatre Tuesday, February 4 Cranbrook, BC @ Western Financial Place Thursday, February 6 Grand Prairie, AB @ Bowes Event Center Friday, February 7 Edmonton, AB @ Winspear Center Saturday, February 8 Calgary, AB @ Grey Eagle Event Centre Monday, February 10 Medicine Hat, AB @ Canalta Centre Tuesday, February 11 Saskatoon, SK @ Coors Event Centre Thursday, February 13 Regina, SK @ Casino Regina Friday, February 14 Winnipeg, MB @ Club Regent Sunday, February 16 Sault Saint Marie, ON @ Sault Community Theatre Monday, February 17 Sarnia, ON @ Imperial Theatre Tuesday, February 18 London, ON @ London Music Hall Friday, February 21 Halifax, NS @ Casino Nova Scotia Saturday, February 22 Moncton, NB @ Casino New Brunswick Monday, February 24 Ottawa, ON @ Bronson Centre Tuesday, February 25 Guelph, ON @ Guelph Concert Theatre Thursday, February 27 Toronto, ON @ Rebel Friday, February 28 Montreal, QC @ MTELUS Saturday, February 29 Barrie, ON @ Mavericks

United States Thursday, April 9 Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl Nashville Friday, April 10 Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall Saturday, April 11 Louisville, KY @ Old Forester’s Paristown Hall Monday, April 13 Huntsville, AL @ Mars Music Hall Tuesday, April 14 Mobile, AL @ Soul Kitchen Wednesday, April 15 New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues Friday, April 17 Tampa, FL @ WXTB 98 Rockfest at Amalie Arena+ Saturday, April 18 Orlando, FL @ WJRR Earthday Birthday at Central Florida Fairground+ Sunday, April 19 Charleston, SC @ Music Farm Tuesday, April 21 Wilmington, NC @ Greenfield Lake Amphitheatre Wednesday, April 22 Greenville, NC @ State Theatre Friday, April 24 Newark, NJ @ WDHA’s Rock the Rock Fest at Prudential Center+ Saturday, April 25 Worcester, MA @ WAAF Big Gig at DCU Center+ Sunday, April 26 Niagara Falls, NY @ The Rapids Theatre Tuesday, April 28 Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues Wednesday, April 29 Angola, IN @ The Eclectic Room Friday, May 1 Minneapolis, MN @ Skyway Theatre Saturday, May 2 Milwaukee, WI @ Eagles Ballroom – Club Stage Sunday, May 3 Green Bay, WI @ Green Bay Distillery Tuesday, May 5 Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Wednesday, May 6 Springfield, MO @ Gillioz Theatre Friday, May 8 Kansas City, MO @ Arvest Bank Center at The Midland Theatre Saturday, May 9 St. Louis, MO @ Pointfest at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre+ Sunday, May 10 Tulsa, OK @ Brady Theater Tuesday, May 12 Lincoln, NE @ Bourbon Theatre Wednesday, May 13 Sioux Falls, SD @ The District Friday, May 15 Deadwood, SD @ Deadwood Mountain Grand Event Center Saturday, May 16 Colorado Springs, CO @ Sunshine Studios Europe Friday, June 12 Donnington Park, UK @ Download Festival+ June 18-20 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic @ Rock For People+ United States Thursday, July 16 Cadott, WI @ Rock Fest+

+denotes festival date

Photo Gallery: Theory Live on Say Nothing Tour Theory - "Say Nothing Tour" February 3rd, 2020 Kelowna Community Theatre Kelowna, BC Photo Credit: Crystal Lee…

[stripperbrittany]

heatherrelizabethh

🙋‍♀️ I love getting to travel for work and experience new places I haven’t been before; this last year a job brought me to visit Louisville KY, where I got to tour so many different types of Whiskey Bourbons distilleries. And Whiskey Bourbons just so happens to be this girls favorite spirit 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️

[greatdrams]

The GreatDrams Bourbon Lover’s Guide to Whiskey Tourism in Kentucky

Here at GreatDrams we'll be focusing on Bourbon over the next two weeks. What better way to get started than with a whiskey holiday!

Now, I don’t know about you but I’ve wanted to visit Kentucky for years. To make the pilgrimage, to visit the distilleries, to meet the people and to enjoy fantastic bourbon… and finally this happened in September 2018. Here is The GreatDrams Bourbon Lover's Guide to Whiskey Tourism in Kentucky.

GETTING THERE

If you’re travelling from the UK, I found flying from Manchester to Heathrow to Chicago and on to Lexington the easiest way, although choosing to fly with British Airways was definitely not the best as they failed in pretty much every way both ways, across all five flights but the rant about that will stay to Facebook and their complaints email address.

There are other travel options when visiting Kentucky from the UK;

London Heathrow to Atlanta and on to Lexington

London Heathrow to Chicago and on to Cincinnati and getting a $110 cab to Lexington

London Heathrow to New York JFK and on to Lexington

And many more.

It will take time to get there, but like all good pilgrimages, you get out what effort you put in and I was truly rewarded with brilliance during my time whilst visiting Kentucky.

WHERE TO STAY

I stayed at the 21c Hotel in Downtown Lexington, a museum hotel that was somewhere between inspiring and mightily random - for example there were big, 4ft blue plastic penguins everywhere and in all the corridors, and the maid (I assume) even put one in my room one morning - but incredibly comfortable and with a great local beer and whiskey menu… and the food was fantastic, so well worth a stay if you’re in the area.

GETTING AROUND

Distilleries in Kentucky are, like Scotland and Ireland, relatively well spread out so you will need a car to get around and I would highly recommend hiring a driver or asking who you are with REALLY nicely to be the designated driver as, whilst not all distilleries let you sample their whiskeys, you might pick up a sample or pass a bar along the way you want to try some wonderful Bourbon, Rye, Wheated Bourbon or concept whiskeys in.

Two of the days I was in Kentucky I had meetings so was very fortunate that one of the people I was seeing, Brian, was awesome enough to drive me around to various distilleries, he then arranged a private tour for my final day with a company called Bottled in Bond Tours.

Bottled in Bond Tours is owned by a well-travelled chap named Nate who is one of the most fantastically enthusiastic people about all things Kentucky, Bourbon and whiskey that I’ve met. A really nice guy who tailors your time with him to exactly what you want to do, see and experience. Nate also has connections in most of the distilleries so can get you to access things you probably would not otherwise be able to on your own.

THE BARS

I did not have a lot of time to explore the bar scene due to my schedule but did enjoy a couple of fantastic bars in Lexington, Kentucky.

The Bluegrass Tavern

Address: 1303, 115 Cheapside, Lexington, KY 40507, United States

Website: http://www.thebluegrasstavern.com

Opening Time: 5:00 pm

What a bar! Owned by a great guy named Sean who, along with the previous owners of the bar, have amassed an 800+ bottle strong collection of Bourbon ranging from the classics to the rarest and the obscure.

Make sure you go to this bar, it is affectionately described by their bartenders as a 'bourbon-centric dive bar’ and man did it deliver not only the American bar experience I love, with good local beers and superb Bourbon, but the guys there are awesome. Bartender Austin in particular was great at showing me superb whiskeys they have in that I would not be able to try anywhere else and it was great just to spend hours chatting about Bourbon and Kentucky with him. Whilst there I tried some belters including:

Chicken Cock Bourbon (chosen for the name, chosen again for how great it tasted)

Weller 12 Year Old

Wild Turkey Decades

Wilderness Trail Single Barrel

Wilderness Trail 4 Year Old Rye

Russell’s Reserve Bluegrass Tavern Barrel Select ‘Gobble Gobble Gulp’ exclusive to the bar

Cathop

Not a Bourbon bar at all, in fact I’m not sure I saw a Bourbon on the bar whilst there, but they had around a hundred, maybe more craft beers on tap ranging from all different styles and flavours.

The food here was great too, I had the Vladimir Poutine - essentially chips, gravy and cheese curd with a bit of brisket on top… a Canadian delicacy that I had not had in a couple of years so fancied tucking in again.

Bourbon on Rye

Address: 115 W Main St, Lexington, KY 40507, USA

Website: https://www.facebook.com/bourbononrye/

Opening Time: 4:00 pm

Simply put; this is where great Bourbon lives. A must visit.

THE DISTILLERIES

In the three days I was in Kentucky I managed to visit nine distilleries in total, each and every one I would recommend that you all visit too. One thing that did annoy me about a bunch of them was how little you are able to sample and to try at the distilleries, apparently a few of them pulled back on samples as people turned up and drank loads then went away again - personally I think that is a bit of a smokescreen as you should want people to try your stuff as they are more than likely to then buy something from the store. Here they are, in the order I visited them as it would be rude to rank them:

Castle & Key

Address: 4445 McCracken Pike, Frankfort, KY 40601, USA

Website: https://castleandkey.com/

When I visited this distillery was not open to the public, fortunately I was able to walk around it for an hour and a half or so with one of their top dogs, Brett, who took me through the whole story, the history and the vision for the place. When open this will be one of the nicest distilleries on the planet. Make sure you also try, and buy, their gin - phenomenal.

Maker’s Mark

Address: 3350 Burks Spring Rd, Loretto, KY 40037, USA

Website: https://www.makersmark.com/

Opening Time: 9:30 am

An icon of the Bourbon world, this distillery was great to see in person and I loved the small design touches around the place including the bottle outline being built into the window shutters, the red accent detail from the wax being included tastefully throughout the site and ability to wax dip your own bottle… which I dutifully did.

Heaven Hill

Address: 528 West Main St. Louisville, KY 40202

Website: https://www.heavenhill.com

Opening Time: 9:00 am

I only popped into the ship at this one as my time was pressed, but managed to pick up a single barrel Old Fitzgerald 14 Year Old and a McKenna (won best American single barrel whiskey this year).

Willett

Address: 1869 Loretto Road Bardstown, Kentucky 40004

Website: https://www.kentuckybourbonwhiskey.com/

Opening Time: 9:30 am

Did the full tour here and it was great, a really small distillery given the amount of brands and product they churn out but the tasting here was lovely as was the walk around the site… their distillery cat was cute too, and enjoyed a little tickle between stops on the tour.

Wilderness Trail

Address: 4095 Lebanon Rd, Danville, KY 40422, USA

Website: http://wildernesstraildistillery.com/

Opening Time: 10:00 am

These guys are incredible, distillers Pat and Shane have created something special here - their background in yeast cultivation and process efficiency for others has set them and their distillery up to be über successful as they have done from filling just one barrel of spirit a day in 2013 using a single pot still to 220 barrels being filled a day in 2018 to become the 14th biggest Bourbon producer in the United States. Incredible how these guys have done it and what they are on the cusp of achieving. Definitely check them out - they sell a single barrel exclusive in the distillery shop too which is fantastic.

Buffalo Trace

Address:  113 Great Buffalo Trace, Frankfort, KY 40601, USA

Website: https://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/

Opening Time: 9:00 am

Like Maker’s, an icon of the Bourbon industry and one you just have to visit even if it is just for the photo in front of the iconic water tower. One of the best and most historic distilleries I visited, and the tour guide Lee had great stories and fascinating tales. A good guy too. The tasting at the end of the tour was basic but good. One let down here was that there were no distillery exclusive whiskies to buy - a HUGE missed opportunity in my opinion, as always - and no premium whiskies either. There was a bottle of Blanton’s, but I had seen it elsewhere too.

Wild Turkey

Address: 1417 Versailles Rd, Lawrenceburg, KY 40342, USA

Website: https://wildturkeybourbon.com

Opening Time: 9:00 am

Great distillery, a nice - and reasonably priced - tasting bar downstairs and lots of random things to buy in the store including a gobbler - see my instagram. Their main corridor includes a nice way of explaining their history too.

Woodford Reserve

Address: 7855 McCracken Pike, Versailles, KY 40383-9781

Website: https://www.woodfordreserve.com

Opening Time: 9:00 am

Like Buffalo Trace and Maker’s, an icon of the Bourbon industry and one of the quaintest and truly American-designed distilleries I’ve visited. A great tour too, albeit quite stage-managed and overly scripted, that finishes with a basic tasting.

Bluegrass Distillers

Address: 501 W 6th St #165, Lexington, KY 40508, USA

Website: https://www.bluegrassdistillers.com/

Opening Time: 10:00 am

An unexpected one this, and one that is within walking distance from the hotel I stayed in (roughly 25 minutes each way). This was the smallest distillery of all I visited, but one of the coolest as you get to bottle your own Bourbon (or rye) right there in the distillery shop - something none of the others offered at all, and was an instant sale. Well worth checking them out. They produce Wheated Bourbon too, which you can bottle, and is akin to Pappy and Weller in base flavour profile and character.

The post The GreatDrams Bourbon Lover’s Guide to Whiskey Tourism in Kentucky appeared first on GreatDrams.

from GreatDrams http://bit.ly/2UQAM7Z Greg

[isaactravis66-blog]

The Different Kinds Of Clay-based Pigeon Firing

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In the meantime, Iowa, North Carolina and also Tennessee brought about anti-sanctuary laws calling for cities to cooperate with immigration experts, and legislators in 16 other conditions fell short however attempted to do the same, including Virginia, where the a large number Republican Law-makers passed the guv as well as a bill, Democrat Ralph Northam, banned it. In Oregon, a group choosing a clampdown on prohibited migration put an amount on the Nov tally that will reverse that state's 1987 shelter legislation. He left all of them, one and also all, within their own territory, where, for aught I can tell, their descendants are alive to the present day, constructing their little residences, growing their little areas, paddling their little children, salarying their little war with the cranes, performing their little bit of business, whatever it may be, as well as reviewing their little histories of ancient opportunities. One 8 Distilling, Washington, DC. This distillery is actually preparing to discharge Rock Creek White Scotch, a rye located bourbon, and also is actually dealing with bourbon, rye and also single malt under the Rock Creek tag in addition to a set of "Untitled Scotch," including Untilted No. 1 Bourbon,, a sourced scotch distilled at MGP. It's not Kansas anymore, it's Texas - the state along with the most weather-related fatalities in 2015, according to the National Weather Service During that year, 86 people dropped their lifestyles in hurricanes and also flooding, featuring 10 that perished in twisters on December 26 in Dallas. Academics call these plants tremendously polluters." Mary B. Collins, a Condition University of New York City College of Environmental Scientific research as well as Forestry researcher, found that low-income areas as well as individuals of shade are actually disproportionately subjected to poor Full Write-up air quality developed through super polluters.

[ontheroadwithchrisanddonna]

Day 32 - 10 / 21

We spent the day in and around Louisville, KY - which is known for baseball, horses and bourbon. We did them all!!

We toured the Louisville Slugger Museum. They’ve been making baseball bats since 1880. We watched a computer controlled machine lathe turn the bat. Then it is entirely manual to put the label, the finish and packaging each bat.

Next we went to Churchill Downs and went on a tour. (It is adjacent to the University of Louisville.). We saw the twin spires and the 25 foot deep track of dirt and sand. No horse races till November, so no betting. The place looked very grand.

We couldn’t find a distillery tour as there was a big convention in town. We did find an authentic bar and enjoyed an old fashioned made by a self described bourbon nerd. She was very informative and enjoyed sharing her knowledge.

[gregkatepetegowest]

The Last Stop (Kinda): Louisville, KY

Okay, we have been home for nearly a month now and life has caught up with me. BUT I need to give the people what they want so here come the final two blog posts.

We ended our grand adventure in Louisville, KY. We knew we didn’t really want to be back in Nashville for July 4. Lots of extra tourists here, crowded bars, girls screaming on pedal taverns, etc. I didn’t have to start work until July 6 but wanted to be home July 5 to give myself a day to try to adjust to becoming a functioning adult again. Pete had never been to Louisville before and it’s a short 2.5 hour drive to Nashville so we figured it would be a cool spot to be for the fourth and the end of our journey.

One of Pete’s buddies lives in Louisville and we had plans to see Greensky Bluegrass on the waterfront with them that evening (July 3). We left STL late morning with plans to arrive to downtown Louisville around 3 pm. UNTIL we realized Louisville is EST, whoops! The drive from STL was only about four hours and we high tailed it so we would have time to check-in, walk Greg, shower and meet up Pete’s friend before the show. We stayed at The Moxy, which is dog friendly, a little swanky, but relatively cheap because it’s a boutique hotel (AKA small). Personally, I love boutique hotels and other than the room being a little small for two adults and an adult sized dog it was totally perfect for us. At this point in the trip/year we were back to hot ass southern weather (ugh ugh ugh) so our dog walk was short and sweet.

We met Pete’s friend Dave and his wife Kathleen as a brewery just under a mile away so we were nice and sweaty from our walk by the time we arrived. We had a drink and dinner and met some of Dave’s friends all of whom were very cool. I found out later that one of them had been Cody Rigsby’s roommate in NY for years. So very upsetting that I didn’t know this when I was in her presence. Storing many questions in my brain to ask her when we are back in Louisville next.

After dinner, we headed down to the waterfront where the concert was being held. I used to visit Louisville for work four times and a year but hadn’t been there is years and a lot has changed. The waterfront area has been completely redone and is now a huge park with lots of open space for hanging out, concerts, etc. The city did an amazing job with this transformation. Greensky was really cool. Naturally, I had never heard their music before, like many of the concerts that Pete brings me to, but I love bluegrass and live music so I had a blast. After Greensky, we walked back to The Moxy to take Greg out. We ended up grabbing a drink from the hotel bar and sitting outside with Greg which was great.

Louisville day two started with a 9 am class at Shed 415. Dave’s wife, Kathleen, owns the gym (she is a badass, clearly) and naturally after having a couple beverages I told her I’d LOVE TO TRY IT OUT! The next morning I was not quite as excited to run on a treadmill and lift weights for an hour but I knew it’s what Pete and I both needed so we put our shades on, walked Greg, chugged water and headed over to the gym. The class was great! Similar format to Barry’s Bootcamp but way more mellow, inclusive, no bros with shirts off, etc. Really, really loved it and the class flew by. If you find yourself in Louisville, I recommend you go and support Kathleen by taking a class at one of her studios (Shed 415).

After class, Pete and I felt like brand new people, and it was time to refuel. We went back to The Moxy to grab Gregor and then met Kathleen and Dave for coffee and breakfast (lox on a bagel, so good).

After breakfast Pete, Greg and I headed to PG&J's Dog Park Bar. We wanted to hit it before it got any hotter and we were still dirty from our class. PG&J’s is just as the name states. An indoor/outdoor bar where you can bring your dog and let them off leash to peruse the entire indoor/outdoor facility. The sign in process took quite a while so we sweat some more while we stood outside waiting. Finally, it was our turn! We got Greg all signed in and I was feeling really happy to give him some time off leash after being in the hotel most of the evening the night before.

If you know Greg well, you know he likes to play rough. He also really loves to be chased by his dog friends. Off leash he is USUALLY well-mannered meaning he doesn’t fight with other dogs despite their breed (on leash he has a major problem with doodle breeds, which has been great since non-shedding dogs have been ALL THE RAGE for the last few years). I digress.

We enter the bar section, which is indoor, and I let Greg off his leash. Basically, from that moment onward he creates complete chaos. He starts by basically spinning out once he’s off leash. The floors were concrete with a finish so a tad slippery for dogs and as soon as he heard his leash being unclipped, he tried to sprint away towards all the other dogs as fast as he possibly could. Pete and I looked at each other and immediately headed to the bar for a drink. While waiting for our drink, we could see Greg psychotically running around the dog park, up to other dogs, peeing on numerous items including the leg of a chair SOMEONE WAS SITTING IN. We really didn’t know what to do. Technically, he wasn’t doing anything WRONG he was just causing a ruckus. We decided the best move was to pretend he wasn’t our dog. This was working out well until he pooped and I had to pick it up. We were outed.

After 20 minutes or so, he mellowed out a little but began pestering one dog in particular. He wants this dog, another GSD breed, to chase him but this dog really doesn’t want to and finds him annoying and is exhibiting all the signs dogs exhibit when they are annoyed. Growling, raising his hair up, etc. Greg doesn’t care. He wants him to chase him and continues to pester. The dog park has a “ranger” whose job is walk around with a water bottle full of rocks and shake it when the dogs start to fight or become aggressive with each other. Before long, I hear the bottle shaking noise and I know it must be Greg. Sure enough, it was, but since he wasn’t the one being aggressive he isn’t in any trouble! Long story short, Greg caused the other dog to have to go on a “five-minute leash break” and eventually the dog and his peeps just left all together. Ugh.

By now, Pete and I realized what we thought would be fun and relaxing was not either of those things. We had to finish our drink STAT and get out of there. We tried to drink fast but it wasn’t fast enough. Greg had found his next “friend” in an adorable Border Collie who he decided he had a crush on. SO EMBARSSING WHOSE CHILD IS THAT?! This poor dog just kept trying to run away, for good reason. As we were leaving, we met his person who was really cool and didn’t seem to be upset that our dog was trying to sexually assault his dog. I don’t think we will be back at PG&J’s anytime (ever again) soon. Now you know why there are no photos from this experience! However, the concept is really cool, was super clean and well maintained with lots of room for dogs and people so if you have a normal dog and you’re in Louisville I would definitely visit this establishment!

After our 45 minutes of fun at the dog park, we headed back to the hotel to shower up. We spent the rest of the day walking around downtown getting snacks and drinks. We stopped by Garage Bar, Feast, La Bodeguita de Mima and Angel's Envy distillery. Highly recommend all of these joints but Angel's Envy was definitely the highlight. We did a super basic tasting but learned a ton and Angel's Envy is very tasty bourbon (coming someone who typically DOES NOT like bourbon straight). From Angel's Envy we headed to the waterfront to secure a firework watching location. Greg was allowed at the waterfront and could care less about fireworks which worked out great. After fireworks, we headed back to The Moxy to relax before heading home to Nashville the next morning.

The next morning, we checked out and walked all along the river front. I couldn’t get over how much Louisville had changed (for the better) since I’d been there last and I truly cannot wait to go back and visit. Next time we visit Louisville, we plan to much more proactive about making tasting/tour reservations at the downtown bourbon distilleries.

I was starting to get majorly depressed about having to resume normal life the next day so we decided to delay that feeling just slightly by stop at Mammoth Cave National Park on our way home. Kudos to Pedro for finding this park for us! Had no idea such a cool spot was so close to home. This park is home to the longest cave system known in the world. Uh, cool! We learned many cool facts along our walk through the park which you can also find here if you’re interested: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammoth_Cave_National_Park

We didn’t go into Mammoth Cave itself because we had Greg with us but we did see some of the smaller caves which had bats hibernating in them right now! When we were there, the temperature outside with in the low 80 range but the temperature in the cave was in the high 50 range! When we walked by the entrance to Mammoth Cave it kept like standing in front of an open refrigerator door. So wild and a great way to take a break mid-hike and cool down. We have plans to head back to this park, sans dog, so we can really explore the caves more.

From here, we headed back to Nash-Vegas which was only an hour and a half drive. It was weird driving towards the city and seeing the Nashville skyline. Since we had absolutely no food at our house and we were not about to grocery shop our first hour back in town, we stopped at our favorite dive in our neighborhood for a late lunch/early dinner. Suddenly, it kind of felt like we never left!

I’ll wrap this thing up with a few of our trip highlights and lowlights for the last post. This has been the most asked question from friends/family since we returned!

[horsesnbourbon]

Everything You Should Know About Bourbon Trail Transportation

So, are you ready to embark on a bourbon trail? The Kentucky Bourbon trail offers an unforgettable experience and it is crucial to plan ahead for a safe journey. From distilleries to tasting – you will get end-to-end tips and tricks to navigate the iconic train with ease. So, grab a bourbon trail private transportation and hit the road.

Reason To Consider Bourbon Trail Transportation At First

To Have A Smooth And Safe Journey Exploring the bourbon trail is an exciting and memorable experience – however, it is important to prioritize safety and plan for transportation. With multiple distilleries – it is crucial to have reliable mode of transportation.

How to Plan a Perfect Bourbon Trail? Exploring Bourbon train is exciting. However, it is important to prioritize safety and plan ahead for suitable transportation. By visiting and tasting multiple distilleries – it is crucial to have reliable mode of transportation. Take a look at the few tips you should consider before starting the trail: Plan Ahead Before you embark on bourbon trail adventure – you should make sure to plan the itinerary and decide where you want to visit. It will help you to choose most efficient route for the group. It is equally important to research the operating hours as it may vary.

Right Mode of Transportation The most common way to travel the Bourbon Trail is by a car. In case, you don’t have the access to the car or prefer not to drive you can hire a private shuttle service and utilize public transportation. Use Designated Driver When you are going on a trail, make sure at least one person in the group is sober for the day. It is crucial that the person abstain from drinking in order to ensure everyone’s safety. Guided Tour You will get several companies to guide this tour of Bourbon Trail, while transporting between distilleries they can offer insightful information about the stop. It allows you to sit back and relax while the tour guide will take care of navigation and driving.

Wrapping Up Well, transportation is a crucial aspect to consider while planning for the trip. Make sure to choose a suitable bourbon trail private transportation and get ready for an exciting adventure.

[dramstreet]

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Aug. 27, 2020  In September Michter's Distillery will be releasing a limited amount of US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish Rye. "The reception that our Toasted Barrel Finish whiskeys have received is a result of tremendously focused work done by our production team led by Master Distiller Dan McKee and Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson. Despite the continuing shortages across all our whiskey stocks, we really wanted to make some of our rye available for this special release," said Joseph J. Magliocco, Michter's President. Michter's Toasted Barrel Finish Rye is made by taking fully matured Michter's US*1 Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Rye at barrel strength and then further aging it in a second custom barrel made to the specifications set by Michter's Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson. She commented, "For this 2020 release, we selected rye barrels aged to peak quality and then dumped each barrel, with the contents of each single barrel being put in a second single barrel assembled from 24 month naturally seasoned and air dried wood. The second barrel was custom toasted to extract characters to create a rich and decadent rye whiskey experience." The average barrel proof for the toasted rye barrels bottled for this release is 109.2. Master Distiller Dan McKee remarked, "This is a whiskey that you really can sip and savor." The suggested Retail Price of Michter's US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish Rye is $85 for a 750ml bottle in the U.S. Beyond its main distillery in the Shively section of Louisville, Michter's operations extend to two other sites in Kentucky. In Springfield, Michter's is farming estate grown grain on its 145-acre property, while in downtown Louisville, Michter's has its second distillery in the historic Fort Nelson building. Situated in a prime location on West Main Street opposite Louisville Slugger and on the same block as the Frazier Museum, Michter's Fort Nelson Distillery features the legendary pot still system from Michter's Pennsylvania Distillery. When open, it also has educational tours with whiskey tastings as well as The Bar at Fort Nelson, which features classic cocktails curated by spirits and cocktail historian David Wondrich. Michter's makes highly acclaimed, limited production whiskeys that are subject to allocation because demand has exceeded supply.  Michter's is renowned for its single barrel rye, small batch bourbon, single barrel bourbon, and small batch American whiskey.  For more information, please visit www.michters.com, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

[thebourbontruth]

Doing the Bourbon Trail 2017

A lot has changed since my last Bourbon Trail post so it’s time. http://kybourbontrail.com What I’ve noticed is people tour under very different time constraints and whom your accompanied by. Solo vs a family trip with the kids and grandparents has much different needs and results. First off do the trail sober. The Kentucky Bourbon Distillers has been enlisting the help of Uber and Lyft. There are taxis and private and public tour groups. Plan ahead for not driving when you shouldn’t be or have a DD.

Logistics As of 2016 there are over a million visits a year visiting Kentucky for “ bourbon tourism” and growing. In 10 years the number has tripled to where it is. That’s a lot. During peak days or times you will NOT be able to get a tour unless you preplan and reserve well in advance. http://kybourbontrail.com/kentucky-bourbon-trail-barrels-past-1-million-visits-2016/

The unofficial and official trail extends well north starting in Newport Kentucky (outside Cincinnati) where New Riff (craft) is to Bowling Green (almost the Tennessee boarder) where Corsair (craft) is over a 3 hour drive so limits are usually present. Most other Distilleries average a 45-60 minute drive apart but Buffalo Trace, Woodford, Wild Turkey, and Four Roses are within half an hour of each other. Regardless of the distance your not getting to them all, possibly not even all the major ones. Secondly, (I’ll say it again) during peak days and times you might not be able to tour at all or need to wait without reservations so make reservations. Another General recommendation is that you and certainly kids have a three distillery attention limit. Things will start blending in and looking the same after that. Pick carefully because if Beam is at the top of your list, do it first. If you put favorite or must see’s at the end you may never make it. If you do more than 3, make that a daily limit. If you don’t want to drive, Mint Julep Tours has some great private and public options http://mintjuleptours.com https://mintjuleptours.com/public-bourbon-tours/

Weather The summer is hot and steamy, sometimes too hot. Bring lots of water in a cooler if you can. The summer may also have distilleries that are closed or not distilling so if you really want to see a special distillery make sure they are operating the days your planning to be there. Winter has ice and when roads are icy the distilleries have been known to close completely. Pets in the car don’t mix well if hot or cold.

Where to sleep? The nicest national hotel chain in Bardstown is the Hampton Inn. There are a few bed and breakfasts but if you want central location, choice and some luxury, Louisville is your best bet (about an hour from most things). Use this as your central hub. Places like the Marriott East (Eastern suburb to downtown Louisville) are a bit cheaper than the regular high end places in downtown and a bit closer to Frankfort area Buffalo Trace, Woodford and Lawrenceburg for Wild Turkey and Four Roses. If your going to be further South, besides Bardstown, Elizabethtown is another option.

If you’re a couple or buddies or a couple touring, I’d recommend Louisville for the bars, Resturant’s and Whiskey Row attractions. Night life is practically non existent other than Louisville. I have regretted Lexington stays as its too far from most places. If your willing to switch hotels in/from other cities/towns that’s a different matter. I personally stay at the Marriott Residence Inn in downtown Louisville when staying downtown. It’s a 50 foot walk/stumble to the best Whiskey bar in Kentucky (Haymarket, a fun dive bar open late). Wandering the streets of Louisville at night, potentially drunk, when not in a group isn’t recommended.

Family trips You better pick just Three-Four distilleries or your going to hear whining. Mix things in like Mammoth Caves, Underground Zip lines, Lincoln Boyhood home, museums, rides on the river in Louisville etc.. The Beam Urban Stillhouse and Evan Williams Experience http://evanwilliams.com/visit.php in Louisville are good for kids so I don’t count those as part of your 3. If you only have two days stick to those close to the Bluegrass Parkway. Buffalo Trace to Bardstown.

Solo or Couples Pick 5 places unless you have more than two days. At five you’ll also start to get the “distillery burnout” and a potentially unhappy spouse. If your going to do more than 5 anyway try to split it up maybe with Cincinnati, Louisville, Lexington, Nashville touring. Visit the races, horse farm etc. you’ll need a break.

Smaller Distilleries Craft and lesser known names I wouldn’t try too hard to get to unless its Willett or on the way with burnout considered.

Cost Plan on about $5-20 per adult per Distillery. Buffalo Trace has the only free tours that I recall. I’ve even heard that Makers Mark is currently charging to get in even with no tour. Don’t know if this is temporary. Other Visitor Centers/Gift Shops at this point are still free to get in but tours are the extra charge. Some might offer Discounts for DD’s, Military, Seniors, Law Enforcement and First responders so ask. Children are usually free to a certain age.

The Distilleries By rough geography. If I miss or skip a distillery it’s not necessarily a skip, I personally haven’t been or not enough there to warrant the extra time to get there. Some distilleries may have a distillery exclusive bottle. I’ll try to note these. Keep in mind that by law any Kentucky retailer can carry these also but they rarely do or can get them before the gift shop gets them all from distribution. They are part of the three tier system so even the distillery exclusives technically need to go through a third party distributer.

Louisville Angels Envy The newest tour in Downtown Louisville across from Slugger Baseball Stadium. A beautiful great tour. If you can’t see the rest of the Bourbon Trail this is a great option. Nothing I could see in the Gift shop different than what you can get at home but I’d go back again. They did have their Rye which is often sold out back home. Note that tours do get sold out on weekdays off peak as they were when I was there.

Bulleit Experience If your not a Stitzel Weller geek skip it. If you don’t know what Stitzel Weller is, again, skip it. More or less a Diageo ad for Bulleit that has never had or has a current real Distillery there although one is due to open soon in Shelbyville that might have public tours.

Copper and Kings is a Brandy distillery in Louisville if your into that and have time.

Evan Williams Experience A mini distillery and showcase of distilling and history. A fun time. They have a few exclusives like a 12 year and 23 year Evan Williams.

Frankfort area

Buffalo Trace http://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/visit-us/our-tours Not an official part of or member of the Bourbon Trail. Free tours and you should reserve Hard Hat Tours as opposed to the regular hourly tours. They split production and maturation into roughly two tours so you could end up there most of the day to get tour bookend Hard Hat type tours in. This is a whiskey factory. Not much for kids but a not to be missed option. Don’t expect any bottles you can’t get at home of Whiskey, nothing special.

Woodford Reserve https://www.woodfordreserve.com/distillery/tours/ Very pretty and fairly quick tours. Drive through horse county to the nicest Distillery in Ky. A couple releases you can only find at the distillery. Real nice gift shop packed full. Usually two unique Whiskeys in .375 size avail each only there. A must stop.

Castle and Key Beginning tours soon. Read up on Old Taylor History (what used to be here) and check it out. Down the street from Woodford. If and when tastings are offered in the near future it will be new booze and young aka not too good. Keep this in mind for any newer distillery only bottling their own make.

Four Roses http://fourrosesbourbon.com Another great stop but no bottling or maturation is done here (see below). That is a separate facility near Beam that you can tour. A whiskey factory that’s a great stop for a Four Roses lover. Bottles selected by Brent Elliott the Master Distiller in the nice large gift shop usually.

Wild Turkey http://wildturkeybourbon.com/visit-us/ New distillery, visitor center and bottling. Feels a bit sterile. Tours stop at lots of windows you can only look through like the distillery. A nice stop and Master Distillers Eddie or Jimmy Russell are often hanging out signing things. Usually no special bottlings are for sale there but a good fun stop.

Bardstown They are adding lots of distilleries but the ones there are Willett and Barton. Don’t stop at Barton if you’ve been/going to one of the whisky factories. Ugly, nothing you’ll want in the giftshop.

Willett https://www.kentuckybourbonwhiskey.com/visit-willett-distillery/# You MUST get a reservation early at Willett to be safe. Its small and very very popular. A recent Saturday out of season had 500 people and they stopped counting. Willett often has private bottling you can’t get elsewhere of advanced age. They are fleeting though. A 14 year old bottling could show up without notice then be sold out within an hour. Don’t expect it will be while you are there but and a big but- If you are on the tour and ask nice you never know. Willett Family Reserve is one of the hardest to get due to the value on the secondary market. They do have their other retail brands and sometimes Rye there regularly. Great people. Expanding Giftshop about to have a bed and breakfast onsite summer/fall 2017 most likely. Periodically will have things you can’t get elsewhere at random. Still have bottles of allocated things from back home you might not see.

Makers Mark If you want to make the trip on Loretto Rd that passes Willett, Makers Mark is ½ hour each way. A cool nice Distillery if you have time. Pretty and complete tours. Can get real busy. Usually one or two things in a large gift shop you can’t get back home.

There is practically nothing but windy roads and little or no cellular coverage. It’s worth the trip but consider it’s a half day excursion. Great Giftshop. The most educational tasting of different stages of maturation, big Giftshop with some private things you can’t get elsewhere and chance to wax dip your own bottle.

If your out this way consider stopping at Independent Stave in Lebanon where they make new Whiskey barrels. Two tours a day, reservations a must. Worth a stop if you have time. http://www.iscbarrels.com/tours/

Wilderness Trace also (see below)

Heaven Hill’s maturation and bottling are here in Bardstown. If you’ve seen or will be seeing these at other places no real draw for me to recommend the tour. The Louisville distillery is not open to the public but the Evan Williams Experience fills in with a mini distillery and nice facility. http://heavenhilldistillery.com/bourbon-heritage-center.php?utm_source=BHC&utm_medium=Redirect&utm_campaign=BHCRedirect&bhc=1

The Heaven Hill Bourbon Heritage Center and Giftshop is a great stop however with frequently special bottlings you can’t get at home or tightly allocated.

Four Roses Maturation and Bottling is near Beam and Bardstown. If you’re a fan of Four Roses or want to see these production pieces in depth, stop. It’s 5 minutes from Beam but hours are a bit more limited. Navigation will often send you to the wrong Four Roses address so make sure you enter the address so don’t trust your navigation to suggest an address. Tour cost are Interchangeable so a receipt for the distillery gets you into the other. The last tour of the day departs the Visitor Center at 3:00 p.m. 624 Lotus Road Cox’s Creek, KY 40013

Beam http://www.jimbeam.com/en-us/visit-us/book-a-tour They did a good job here setting up a complete experience. Maybe one of the best. I will say this is the tour from the Barrel picking experience so the regular tour may include other parts of the real distillery operation. You should check. Good for kids and has micro tastes of products and a couple whiskeys unique to the huge American Still House gift shop.

Wilderness Trail This is another extreme distance but worth the trip if you have lots of time and want to see a nice craft place.

Craft distilleries Remember burnout. If you want to indulge check out http://kybourbontrail.com/craft-tour/

I want more If you want even more or more on-depth experience Moonshine University runs courses from a day to 5 day Distiller classes. Also a Stave and Thief Whisky Society Certification. They are in Louisville. If you arrange your trips around their schedules it gives you this extra option. https://moonshineuniversity.com/courses/

Lastly, in the next couple years many new attractions and distilleries will be opening in downtown Louisville and it’s Whiskey Row so check to see what they have opened. Here are some suggested driving times and map http://kybourbontrail.com/map/

Enjoy your trip and be safe.

[nikoontheroad]

Louisville is almost done and dusted. We've already been flirting with Indiana, which is just across the Ohio river that you'll see in my pictures. Tomorrow will take us through it and further to Illinois. Last states of the trip. Will bring my total to 30.

Last night we walked along the riverfront, which had similar problems with many American cities. It's pretty and appealing, but located so close to the hustle & bustle of freeways, that something always seem to be lacking. Whether you are in Detroit, Seatte, New York, or Louisville, this is a thing that persists.

After the evening stroll we landed in a bar in Louisville's Whiskey Row and stayed there for a couple of hours. Louisville has a little bit of a New Orleans vibe going on, and the city seems to be a favored spot of Bachelor/ette party groups. We mostly kept to ourselves and watched as America partied. It's a fun thing to see, although these always all white, mostly college educates groups from affluent families carry the easy air of privilige that sometimes borders annoyingly close to arrogance. But then again, maybe I'm sterotyping here.

Today we spend the afternoon chilling on the rooftop sun deck of our airbnb condo (I know what you're thinking; did this guy just REALLY blame others for their privilege!), reading our books and drinking beer. Heat rose to the lower 90s (+30 C), so it was pleasant. At four PM we rolled into Main Street to catch one of the many Bourbon tours offered in Louisville, this one by Evan Williams of Heaven Hill distillery. Our guide was knowledgeable and his enthusiasm was catching. I love me some good Bourbon, which we incidentally had a few tastings, alongside with a considerable info drop. They also let us taste their 'white dog', which is the name of the freshly distilled product that is yet to spend any time in the barrel. Cool! Moonshiny, but tasty!

After, we scurried to Louisville Slugger Field, a quaint little baseball arena that was today converted as a soccer field (or just regular football to Europeans). Louisville City FC was facing off with their neighbor state rivals, St. Louis FC. The game wasn't a classic, but it was great to see that Americans know their trade in soccer fandom just us well as any old nation. Lou City hardcore fan group was noisy, energetic, but also much more well behaved than some of their European counterparts. Game itself was a bit of a dud with the final score of 0-0, but as an experience I enjoyed it. And it's always nice when they let you bring beer to the stands, something that is strictly verboten back home. Bought a delightful scoop of Chocolate Peanut Butter ice cream from Ehler's on our way home. Real sweet stuff and a local brand too. Be sure to check it out if ever in Louisville, KY!

[bourbonandoak]

Angel’s Envy Events – 2017 Kentucky Bourbon Affair

Angel’s Envy Events – 2017 Kentucky Bourbon Affair

Angel’s Envy Past to Present Dinner Wednesday, June 7th, 7-9pm Angel’s Envy, 500 East Main Street, Louisville, KY Price: $200 Guests will get an in-depth tour of the distillery by Co-Founder Wes Henderson and Master Blender Kyle Henderson. Tastings include Angel’s Envy Port, Rye, Cask and never released Angel’s Envy First Barrel. This isn’t simply one of the rarest bottles of whiskey, the spirit…

[wineanddinosaur]

11 Things You Should Know About Heaven Hill Distillery

Heaven Hill Distillery, founded by the Shapira family in Bardstown, Ky., in 1935, is the largest family-owned and operated distillery in the U.S. It’s also the second-largest bourbon distillery in the world, and one of the country’s largest spirits suppliers.

Ready for a taste of whiskey history? Here are 11 more things you should know about Heaven Hill Distillery.

Heaven Hill began as a post-Prohibition proposition.

After Prohibition ended in 1933, Ed Shapira, a successful businessman and department store owner in New Haven, Ky., invested in a fledgling distillery looking to bring whiskey back to Kentucky. Ed Shapira’s five sons eventually bought out the distillery’s other investors, becoming the sole owners. One of these sons, Max Shapira, is the company president today.

You might know Heaven Hill by its other names.

Heaven Hill is famous in its own right, but you may know it better by its flagship bourbon labels, Evan Williams and Elijah Craig. Both have been produced since the 1930s. The distillery also produces the eponymous Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond, along with many other brands it either created or acquired: Larceny, Rittenhouse Rye, Henry McKenna Single Barrel, Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey, Pikesville Rye, Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond, and Mellow Corn.

Until 2019, Heaven Hill’s distillers had ‘the most famous name in bourbon.’

Heaven Hill has had several members of the Beam family at its still. Most recently was the late Parker Beam, who started with the company in 1960, served as master distiller starting in 1975, and became master distiller emeritus in 2014, after falling ill.

Parker Beam was the son of Earl Beam, grandson of Park Beam, and grandnephew of Jim Beam. Bill Samuels Jr., friend of Parker and former Maker’s Mark executive, said he “lived up to and exceeded the burden of having the most famous name in bourbon.”

In 2019, Heaven Hill appointed Conor O’Driscoll master distiller. Though not a Beam, O’Driscoll is an industry vet, having worked in Kentucky bourbon for 15 years.

Heaven Hill is a young 84.

Despite being born in 1935, Heaven Hill keeps up with the times online. The distillery has its own podcast, “Tales from the Hill,” which delivers insights into the distillery’s heritage. And in March 2019, Heaven Hill brand ambassador Bernie Lubbers hosted a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything), devoting two hours to the online forum.

It’s had a few facelifts.

In 2018, Heaven Hill announced a major expansion and renovation — to the tune of $65 million — including $17.5 million toward a rebranding of the Bourbon Heritage Center, a stop on the official Kentucky Bourbon Trail offering tastings and a museum describing the region’s bourbon history. The rest went to new barrel warehousing and equipment upgrades. In total, the distillery has invested more than $100 million in expansions and tourism since 2010, according to the Spirits Business.

It wants you to visit.

Along with the recent renovations to the Bourbon Heritage Center in Bardstown, Heaven Hill also hosts the annual Kentucky Bourbon Festival in September. Additionally, visitors can swing by the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience in Louisville any time of year. That tour is led by Heaven Hill Artisanal Distiller and 38-year employee Jodie Filiatreau.

Heaven Hill has more rickhouses than America has states.

Heaven Hill is headquartered in Bardstown, Ky. It also operates several facilities in the area, each with its own set of rickhouses, or barrel warehouses. There are currently 51 rickhouses and counting: 22 in Bardstown, nine each in Deatsville and Schenley, seven in Bernheim, and four in Glencoe. In total, the 51 rickhouses hold 1,173,000 barrels.

But wait — there’s more. Heaven Hill is currently developing another campus in Cox’s Creek, Ky., “to allow for future expansion,” the company writes on its website. That campus will hold 11 rickhouses with the capacity to hold 605,000 additional barrels.

Heaven Hill offered the ultimate ‘angel’s share.’

On Nov. 7, 1996, a disastrous fire ravaged Heaven Hill’s Bardstown plant. “Flames could be seen shooting 300 to 400 feet into the air from over 20 miles away as the alcohol burned and barrels exploded,” Distillery Trail reports. The flames jumped from warehouse to warehouse, eventually engulfing seven, as well as the distillery. In four hours, more than 90,000 barrels of bourbon were lost. Amazingly, no one was hurt.

It makes smart investments.

In 1999, Heaven Hill acquired several spirits brands from beverage giant Diageo, including Deep Eddy Vodka, Hpnotiq Liqueur, O’Mara’s Irish Country Cream, and many others. As part of the same deal, it also acquired its Bernheim Distillery in Louisville, now the world’s largest single-site bourbon distillery.

Heaven Hill has always been the ‘best.’

The distillery has won dozens of awards, including 30 Best Whiskey wins, 14 Whiskey of the Year awards, seven Distiller of the Year awards, and 42 double gold medals. At the 2019 SF World Spirits Competition, Heaven Hill left with the titles for Distillery of the Year, Best Bourbon, and Best in Show Whisky. It’s the only distillery to win Best in Show Whisky with bourbon.

When Heaven Hill released its first label in 1939, Old Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond, it was the best-selling whiskey in the state of Kentucky.

Heaven Hill is part of two Bourbon Counties, in Kentucky and Illinois.

In 2015, Heaven Hill partnered with Chicago brewery Goose Island on a rare variant of the brewery’s Bourbon County Brand Stout. The special-release beers, sold annually starting on Black Friday, are known for kicking off the bourbon-barrel-aged beer trend.

The companies partnered again in 2018, when Goose Island’s Reserve Bourbon County Stout was aged in Heaven Hill barrels. In 2019, the bourbon barrels grace three different releases: Reserve Rye Bourbon County Stout, aged exclusively in Rittenhouse Rye barrels; Bourbon County Wheatwine Ale, aged in Larceny barrels; and the classic Bourbon County Stout, aged in Heaven Hill as well as Buffalo Trace and Wild Turkey barrels.

“Bourbon and beer is a partnership that makes sense,” Conor O’Driscoll, Heaven Hill master distiller, said in a press release.

The article 11 Things You Should Know About Heaven Hill Distillery appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/heaven-hill-distillery/

[themusicenthusiast]

Slipknot, Guns N’ Roses, Disturbed and Rob Zombie Among Headliners for the World’s Largest Rock ‘N’ Roll Whiskey Festival: Louder Than Life; Danny Wimmer Presents Produced Festival to Take Over Highland Festival Grounds at KY Expo Center in Louisville, KY September 27-29, 2019

Louder Than Life, the world’s largest rock ‘n’ roll whiskey festival, returns to Louisville, KY even bigger and better in its fifth year, with festival producers delivering the most spectacular music lineup since the festival began in 2014. Louder Than Life will feature the Danny Wimmer Presents debut of quintessential rock band Guns N’ Roses(in their first appearance since performing in Hawaii in December 2018), the return of chart-topping, festival favorites Slipknotand, Disturbed,a reunited Staind(in their first public performance in 5 years),Godsmack, Rob Zombie, A Day To Remember, Ice Cube, Marilyn Manson, Breaking Benjamin, Chevelle, Halestorm, and many more. Produced by premier independent festival producer Danny Wimmer Presents, Louder Than Life will be held at its new home at Highland Festival Grounds at KY Expo Center on Friday, September 27, Saturday, September 28 andSunday, September 29.

Louder Than Life will feature more than 50 music acts, with performances on three stages, along with award-winning bourbons, whiskey, spirits, craft beer, and the best foodLouisvillehas to offer. Festival attendees will also enjoy a variety of onsite food and beverage experiences, as well as sponsor activations that celebrate the bourbon culture and culinary heritage of this unique American city. "We wouldn't be living up to the name Louder Than Lifeif we didn't come back bigger and badder than ever, giving fans something they can't see anywhere else,” says festival producer Danny Wimmer. “Getting Staindback together and plugged in on the main stage is something that I've been working on for years. These are songs that need to be heard, that fans have been dying to hear --Staindhas been one of the most requested bands on our socials, and it's an honor to be bringing their music back for the fans at Louder Than Life.” Wimmer continues, “Slipknot has always had some of the most loyal, rabid fans in rock, but now they are at that pivotal moment when they’ve crossed over into iconic status; Disturbed has had their best touring numbers to date this year; then top it off with one of the biggest rock bands of all time in Guns N' Roses...this year is our most massive lineup yet." Louder Than Life exclusive VIP packages, General Admission tickets, camping and hotel packages go on sale today, Monday, April 8 at9:00 AM ET. Fans interested in attending all three DWP weekends at KY Expo Center, also including Hometown Rising Country Music & Bourbon Festival (September 14-15)and Bourbon & Beyond (September 20-22), can purchase a special Trifesta Pass, which allows General Admission weekend access for the discounted rate of only $229.00 plus fees. The current music lineup for Louder Than Life is as follows (subject to change): Friday, September 27: Slipknot, Staind, A Day to Remember, Chevelle, I Prevail, Architects, Beartooth, Motionless In White, Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals, GWAR, The Crystal Method, Graveyard, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, New Years Day, All Them Witches, Crown Lands, Joyous Wolf, Dead Posey, Santa Cruz and more Saturday, September 28: Guns N’Roses, Godsmack, Ice Cube, Halestorm, Dropkick Murphys, Stone Temple Pilots, Suicidal Tendencies, Melvins, Andrew W.K., Badflower, Knocked Loose, Anti-Flag,Redd Kross, Parlor Mob, Like A Storm, Jelly Roll, Dirty Honey, DED, JunkBunny and more Sunday,  September  29: Disturbed,  Rob  Zombie,  Marilyn  Manson,  Breaking  Benjamin,  Die Antwoord,  Three  Days  Grace,Sum  41, [artist  TBA],Deadland  Ritual,  White  Reaper, Demon Hunter, Ho99o9, Angel Du$t, Sick Puppies, Amigo The Devil, Fire From The Gods, Broken Hands, Anemic Royalty and more Danny Wimmer Presents is proud to announce a collaboration with Metallica’s Blackened Whiskey and Enter Night Pilsner. Blackened, a super-premium American whiskey blend crafted by the late Master Distiller Dave Pickerelland finished in the earth shattering music of Metallica, and Enter Night Pilsner, a collaboration with the rockstars of craft brewing Stone Brewing Company, will come together  under  one  roof  to  offer  guests  a  one-of-kind  musical  festival  experience.  The  massive Boiler Maker pop-up will feature a Blackened & Enter Night Boilermaker, as well as craft cocktails and ice-cold Enter Night Pilsner. This exciting collaboration marks the latest in a long line of amplified guest  experiences  only  available  through Danny  Wimmer  Presents music  festivals.  More  info  to come... The festival’s centerpiece, Kroger’s Big Bourbon Bar presented by Louisville Courier Journal,will feature more than two dozen hand-selected bourbons from top distilleries, and a unique opportunity to enjoy bourbons and exclusive one-time specialty cocktails from 1792, Angel’s Envy, Barrell Bourbon,Coopers’ Craft,Elijah Craig,Four Roses,Jeptha Creed Four Grain Bourbon, Kentucky Peerless, Michter’s,Old Forester, Rebel Yell, StoneHammer,Wild Turkey andmore to be announced. Fred Minnick’s Mini Bar--hosted by the Louder Than Life bourbon curator, bourbon author/expert,and Amazon Prime host (Bourbon Up)--will showcase craft selections from Louisville’s world-renowned distilleries.Acclaimed Louisville whiskey bar The Silver Dollar will operate The Hunter’s Club, where attendees  can  find  vintage  bourbons  dating  as  far  back  as  the  1930s,  as  well  as  contemporary collectibles. The initial list of participating bourbon brands at Louder Than Lifeincludes 1792, Angel’s Envy, Barrell Bourbon,Coopers’ Craft, Elijah Craig, Evan Williams,Four Roses, Jeptha Creed Four Grain Bourbon, Jim Beam, Kentucky Peerless,Larceny, Maker’s Mark, Michter’s, Old Forester, Rebel Yell, StoneHammer, Wild Turkey,Willett, and Woodford Reserve. Whiskey sponsors also include Jack Daniel’s, Southern Comfort and Uncle Nearest. Ticket prices for Louder Than Life will be as follows: ●3-Day Weekend General Admission: starting at $149.50 + fees ●3-DayMint Experience VIP: starting at $449.50 + fees ●3-Day Top ShelfVIP: $1,399.50 + fees ●Single Day GeneralAdmission: starting at $69.50 + fees ●Single Day VIP: starting at $199.50 + fees Louder Than  Life sponsors  include Kentucky  Tourism, Louisville  Tourism, Monster  Energy, Jack Daniel’s, Kroger, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Southern Comfort, Uncle Nearest Whiskey, f.y.e., The Music Experience, Fxck Cancer, Take Me Home, Against The Grain, and Zyn. The Highland Festival Grounds At KY Expo Center are located at 937 Phillips Lane in Louisville, Kentucky. Festival doors open at 11:00 AM daily. Louder Than Life is produced by Los Angeles-based Danny Wimmer Presents, one of the largest independent  producers of  destination  music  festivals  in  America. Additional DWP events  include Aftershock Festival, Bourbon & Beyond, Chicago Open Air, Epicenter Festival, Hometown Rising, Rock Allegiance, Sonic Temple Art + Music Festival, and Welcome To Rockville.

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Top Must-Visit Bourbon Distilleries in Louisville & Lexington, KY

A visit to Kentucky's bourbon distilleries is a must if you're a whiskey enthusiast or are just interested in learning more about the complex manufacturing process and lengthy history of this famous American spirit. Kentucky is home to some of the most well-known bourbon distilleries in the world and is well suited for your bourbon distillery tours in Louisville KY and Lexington.

Why Visit Bourbon Distilleries in Kentucky? Kentucky is the origin of bourbon, not just any old spot to enjoy it. Rich soil, clear limestone water, and a state with a particular climate all contribute to Kentucky bourbon's distinctive flavor profiles. Exploring these distilleries provides an in-depth look at the passion, tradition, and skill that go into each bottle.

Top Bourbon Distilleries in Louisville

Evan Williams Bourbon Experience The Evan Williams Bourbon Experience, situated on Louisville's famed Whiskey Row, is a must-see when it comes to bourbon distillery tours in Louisville KY. It provides guests with an intimate look into the life of Kentucky's first commercial distiller by fusing an interactive bourbon taste with a guided tour.

Angel's Envy Distillery Angel's Envy, a company renowned for its creative finishing technique, provides a special tour showcasing its handcrafted methodology. Not only is the distillery's finishing room visually stunning, but the tasting experience is also quite noteworthy.

Michter's Fort Nelson Distillery The Fort Nelson Distillery by Michter offers a fusion of traditional and contemporary bourbon-making methods. The tour includes a sample of some of Michter's best spirits in addition to an examination of the original pot stills and cypress wood fermenters.

Top Bourbon Distilleries in Lexington

Woodford Reserve Distillery The ancient and gorgeous Woodford Reserve Distillery is tucked away in the undulating hills of Woodford County. After a thorough examination of their small-batch bourbon production process, your bourbon distillery tours in Lexington KY concludes with a taste of a stunning location.

Buffalo Trace Distillery Buffalo Trace, one of the oldest distilleries in the US still in operation, is known for its bourbons and has a rich history. Everything from fermentation to aging is covered in this extensive tour.

Town Branch Distillery The Town Branch Distillery is one of the unique spots for your bourbon distillery tours in Lexington KY it makes both craft beer and bourbon. They offer tours that give visitors a distinctive look at the distillation process and include a sampling of their beer and bourbon.

Conclusion Bourbon enthusiasts and novices alike may have an unmatched experience at Kentucky's distilleries when it comes to bourbon distillery tours in Louisville KY or Lexington. These excursions, featuring distinctive production methods, fascinating history, and delectable tastes, are the highlights of any visit to the Bluegrass State.